Absinthe thujone

Absinthe thujone is the chemical found in Absinthe's essential ingredient, the plant called Common Wormwood, or Artemisia Absinthium to give it its organic name. The chemical thujone was to some extent accountable for Absinthe being banned in early 1900s in lots of countries around the world and thujone is still tightly regulated nowadays, specifically in the United States (or states united).

Thujone was regarded as much like THC present in cannabis and Absinthe was alleged to be psychoactive and have psychedelic results causing hallucinations and insanity. Absinthe had been popular with the Bohemian set in Montmartre within Paris and several artists and writers claimed that Absinthe, the Green absinthe thujone Fairy, gave them inspiration and their genius. Famous Absinthe drinkers include Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Degas, Baudelaire and Verlaine. Some claim that Van Gogh's madness was caused by Absinthe and that he cut off his ear under its influence. Absinthe was even blamed for a man murdering his family, despite the fact that he had eaten a great many other strong alcoholic beverages following the Absinthe.

Prohibition campaigners used news of the murder to campaign for the banning of Absinthe and held responsible France's growing problems of alcohol addiction on the emerald liquor.

Today's studies suggest that it was really the alcohol (ethanol) content of Absinthe that was dangerous instead of the thujone. Absinthe is doubly strong as spirits like whisky and vodka and can be 75% alcohol. Care should therefore be utilized any time consuming Absinthe. Thujone is just contained in minute quantities and must therefore result in no major unwanted effects or even health conditions. The EU states that alcoholic beverages with an ABV {alcohol by volume) level above 25% may only consist of a maximum of 10mg/kg of thujone, beverages classed as "bitters" can easily contain up to 35mg/kg, it is not entirely clear which class Absinthe matches but most brands of Absinthe have much under 35mg with many being below 10mg/kg. In the US it is just legal to get or sell Absinthes with trace amounts of thujone.

High doses of thujone could be hazardous causing convulsions but you would need to drink a great deal of Absinthe to consume that quantity of thujone plus it will be impossible to drink that amount, you would be comatose from alcohol before then!

Absinthe Components

It is said that Henri-Louis Pernod, who owned the very first Absinthe distillery, used the herbs wormwood, aniseed, fennel, lemon balm, hyssop, angelica root, dittany, star anise, nutmeg, juniper as well as veronica to produce his famous Pernod Absinthe. The primary oil from all of these herbs accounts for La Louche, the clouding which occurs when water is combined with Absinthe. These herbs particularly the aniseed and anise lead to the distinctive aniseed or licorice taste of Absinthe and wormwood is liable for the particular bitter flavor. Absinthe is oftentimes used as bitters in cocktails.

There are numerous brands of Absinthe or Absinthe alternatives which were developed during the prohibit and for that reason contain no Absinthe thujone or even wormwood, but many would say that Absinthe just isn't Absinthe without Absinthe thujone and the bitter style of wormwood. If you want real Absinthe look for brands made up of wormwood or Absinthe thujone.